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Evolution of Salinity and Water Table Level of the Phreatic Coastal Aquifer of the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy)

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Evolution of Salinity and Water Table Level of the Phreatic Coastal Aquifer of the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy) water Article Evolution of Salinity and Water Table Level of the Phreatic Coastal Aquifer of the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy) Beatrice Maria Sole Giambastiani 1,* , Assaye Kidanemariam 2, Addisu Dagnew 2 and Marco Antonellini 1 1 BiGeA–Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Via S. Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna Campus, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; [email protected] 2 Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering, 314 Shire Campus, Aksum University, Aksum, Ethiopia; [email protected] (A.K.); [email protected] (A.D.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The coastal aquifers of the Mediterranean region are highly susceptible to seawater in- trusion due to a combination of challenges such as land subsidence, high aquifer permeability, urbanization, drainage, and an unsustainable use of water during the dry summer months. The present study is focused on a statistical analysis of groundwater data to evaluate the spatial changes of water level and electrical conductivity in the coastal phreatic aquifer of the Emilia-Romagna (Northeast Italy) for the period from 2009 to 2018. Data from 35 wells distributed across the entire regional coastal area are used to establish a temporal trend, as well as correlations between salinity, water table level, and rainfall. Water table and salinity distribution maps for the entire study area are discussed regarding surface geology and water management. Most of the wells are in the beach wedge sand unit, which allows for easy connectivity between groundwater and surface water. Sur- face water and groundwater salinization are enhanced along the surface water bodies connected to the sea. The lowest water table level occurs in the western and northern parts of the study area, because of the semiconfined behavior of the aquifer. Only in the northernmost, close to the Po River, Citation: Giambastiani, B.M.S.; Kidanemariam, A.; Dagnew, A.; and in the southernmost parts of the study area does the groundwater remain fresh for the whole Antonellini, M. Evolution of Salinity period considered due to river aquifer recharge. In the rest of the region, the thickness of freshwater and Water Table Level of the Phreatic lenses, where present, is less than 4.5 m. The existence of a water table level below sea level and Coastal Aquifer of the Emilia high saline water at the bottom of the aquifer in most of the study area suggest that the aquifer is in Romagna Region (Italy). Water 2021, unstable hydrodynamic conditions and groundwater quality is not fit for human consumption or for 13, 372. https://doi.org/10.3390/ irrigation. This study is the first to provide a regional overview of the state of groundwater level and w13030372 salinization within the coastal aquifer of the Emilia-Romagna Region; it also suggests that, overall, the salinization trend has slightly decreased from 2009 to 2018. Academic Editor: Micòl Mastrocicco Received: 6 December 2020 Keywords: coastal aquifer; freshening; water table; salinization; geostatistical analysis Accepted: 26 January 2021 Published: 31 January 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral 1. Introduction with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- Water in the coastal zone is crucial for life, but its availability at a sustainable quality iations. and quantity is challenged by population growth, tourism, land subsidence, agriculture, and climate variability. Changes in climate variables can significantly alter groundwater recharge rates for major aquifer systems and thus affect the availability of fresh ground- water resources [1]. Saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers by rising seawater levels is an example of how climate change impacts water quality. In this case, shallow coastal Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. aquifers are at greatest risk. Rainfall increases because of climate change, on the other This article is an open access article hand, enhances freshwater storage in the coastal aquifers. Groundwater recharge is also distributed under the terms and a sensitive function of local geology, topography, and land use. An unconfined aquifer conditions of the Creative Commons is recharged directly by local rainfall, rivers, and lakes, and the rate of recharge will be Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// influenced by the hydraulic conductivity of overlying rocks, sediments and soil [2,3]. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ Deltaic coastal plains all over the world are highly vulnerable to impacts from cli- 4.0/). mate change, land subsidence, coastal erosion, land loss, groundwater salinization, and Water 2021, 13, 372. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13030372 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/water Water 2021, 13, 372 2 of 21 environmentally damaging land use practices [4]. In many low-lying coastal areas, ground- water is also saline because saltwater from the Holocene marine transgression has not yet been flushed completely by rainfall recharge [5]. Up-coning or seepage of saltwater from deeper parts of the aquifer or underlying formations often plays an important role in the salinization process [6]. The coastal aquifers of the Mediterranean region are highly susceptible to seawater intrusion due to a combination of factors, most importantly an unsustainable use of water during the dry summer months and the high aquifer hydraulic conductivity [3]. Artificial drainage and high rates of anthropogenic and natural subsidence, among other causes, have caused groundwater salinization in the coastal unconfined and semiconfined aquifers of Ravenna, along the northern Adriatic Sea [7–11]. The land reclamation drainage system controls the water table level and creates a vertical gradient, forcing groundwater to flow from the bottom toward the top of the aquifer. Therefore, the connate saline groundwater previously preserved in the deepest portion of the aquifer can be mobilized and transported upward [11]. The drainage also causes a decrease in the effective recharge of the aquifer [12]. The water table in the coastal area is, on average, close to or below sea level with a general inland-directed hydraulic gradient that is mainly forced by the drainage [13]. Since, among the factors causing coastal aquifer salinization, water drainage driven by a sinking topography is so important in lowering the hydraulic head and favoring saltwater up-coning (seepage), the area will experience negative effects on coastal groundwater resources and freshwater availability as long as land subsidence continues in the future. Land subsidence has led to the rise of the water table in the shallow unconfined aquifer that has consequently required an increase in mechanical pumping drainage rates [14]. The greater the amount of subsidence, the larger the amount of water that needs to be drained. Consequently, less freshwater is able to recharge the aquifer and the system ends up being poorly flushed [8]. As result of this, the phreatic coastal aquifer of Ravenna is almost completely brackish to saline except for some isolated freshwater lenses [7,15]. The salinization has strongly increased during the past century and it is threatening the ecosystems of all natural areas in this territory [7,16]. The coastal aquifer is a closed system and water recharge can only occur via rainfall or excess irrigation infiltration in the dune areas and where sandy deposits are exposed at the surface. The limited rainfall, strong evaporation rate, sea-level rise, and land subsidence have limited the amount of freshwater infiltrating into the aquifer [17]. Moreover, encroachment of seawater along rivers and canals contributes to enhance the salinization process [7] due to the lack of barriers towards the sea, the presence of a low gradient (except for the Po River), and low discharge river estuaries in microtidal conditions. In several cases, inverse riverbed slopes and deep holes at the bottom of riverbeds [18] easily allow the saltwater to enter the river and remain trapped for long time. The salt pools on the bottom of the river may represent one of the major sources of salinization of the adjacent aquifer where surface water and groundwater are connected. Water table and quality maps are key tools for water resource management. Surface- water features such as ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers can interact with the groundwater table. All this must be considered when preparing a water table and quality maps. However, the interaction status between surface water and groundwater depends on the hydrological and geological parameters such as the surface water level, water table, riverbed geometry, and hydrogeological parameters of the substratum [19]. Despite the many studies carried out in this area and the many factors for the salinization of the coastal aquifer, no spatial analysis of water table level and groundwater electrical conductivity at a regional scale considering surface water features has been performed in the study area so far. The main objective of our work, therefore, is to assess, for the first time, the water table levels and the extent of groundwater salinization in the coastal zone of the Emilia-Romagna region at a regional level. Based on the available data, which span a period of almost ten years (2009–2018), we also want to establish if there is any trend in water table and groundwater salinity data. We tackle these issues by considering the effects of the climate Water 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 23 Water 2021, 13, 372 3 of 21 Romagna region at a regional level. Based on the available data, which span a period of almost ten years (2009–2018), we also want to establish if there is any trend in water table variabilityand groundwater and salinity surface data. geologyWe tackle these on aquifer issues by status.considering A statisticalthe effects of analysisthe was performed on climate variability and surface geology on aquifer status. A statistical analysis was per- theformed available on the available dataset dataset to to identify identify possible possible trends trends of salinization/freshenin of salinization/fresheningg pro- processes. cesses. 1.1. Study Area 1.1.
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